Regulation of microtubule dynamics by reaction cascades around chromosomes.
During spindle assembly, chromosomes generate gradients of microtubule stabilization through a reaction-diffusion process, but how this is achieved is not well understood. We measured the spatial distribution of microtubule aster asymmetry around chromosomes by incubating centrosomes and micropatterned chromatin patches in frog egg extracts. We then screened for microtubule stabilization gradient shapes that would generate such spatial distributions with the use of computer simulations. Only a long-range, sharply decaying microtubule stabilization gradient could generate aster asymmetries fitting the experimental data. We propose a reaction-diffusion model that combines the chromosome generated Ran-guanosine triphosphate-Importin reaction network to a secondary phosphorylation network as a potential mechanism for the generation of such gradients.
Athale
Chaitanya A
CA
Cell Biology and Biophysics Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Meyerhofstrasse 1, Heidelberg, Germany.
Dinarina
Ana
A
Mora-Coral
Maria
M
Pugieux
Céline
C
Nedelec
Francois
F
Karsenti
Eric
E
D000818:Animals; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D018385:Centrosome / Q000502:physiology; D002843:Chromatin / Q000502:physiology; D002877:Chromosomes, Human / Q000502:physiology; D003198:Computer Simulation; D004058:Diffusion; D006801:Humans; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D008870:Microtubules / Q000502:physiology*; D008954:Models, Biological; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D010063:Ovum / Q000166:cytology; D010750:Phosphoproteins / Q000502:physiology; D008941:Spindle Apparatus / Q000502:physiology*; D014981:Xenopus; D029867:Xenopus Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D020931:ran GTP-Binding Protein / Q000378:metabolism
D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins; D002843:Chromatin; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D010750:Phosphoproteins; C486551:TPX2 protein, Xenopus; D029867:Xenopus Proteins; D020931:ran GTP-Binding Protein